Have you ever heard of a tree bandit? Well, residents on the near northside of Houston sure have. Caught on camera, this mysterious thief has been uprooting trees from people’s yards. It’s a strange and shady crime that has left the neighborhood puzzled and frustrated.
Homeowner Kelly Kindred expressed her exasperation by simply saying, “Just stop stealing trees.” She and her neighbor, Olivia Topete, are both hoping that the tree bandit will heed this request.
Kindred shared her mixed emotions about the situation, stating, “You’re mad because it’s your stuff, but then there’s a part of you that’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is completely absurd.'” Despite not living in the neighborhood for long, Kindred and Topete have formed a strong friendship and are looking out for each other.
Surveillance footage revealed the brazen thief bending, shaking, and even using a pickaxe to extract trees from the ground. The question on everyone’s mind is, why would someone do this? Kindred humorously speculated, “Is there a little gardener gang running around? Is there a black market that I don’t know about?”
The spree of tree thefts spanned several days, affecting multiple properties in the area. Topete took matters into her own hands when she spotted the thief in action. She chased him down, causing him to abandon the stolen tree in a grocery cart.
Despite the bizarre nature of the crime, some residents chose not to involve the police, instead opting to raise awareness about the situation and emphasize the importance of neighbors looking out for one another.